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Review of making second Kontakt with the R&D Youth Theatre at Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton

As I said in my first Kontakt review, I wasn't really sure that I wanted to see this show. However come Sunday and a second opportunity to see it, I was genuinely looking forward to it.

With the show now having departed, for my second review I will elaborate a touch more on happenings, which initially I shied away from as spoilers. My actor for my second encounter was 15 year old Michael. He had the enviable task unlike Michael before him of dealing with someone who knew quite a bit of what was coming. As those surgical gloves went on I this time was certain that the R&D were not going to overstep the boundary and do a full medical. I had also learnt that a crisp sandwich was something that should be left in the memory, so cheese was a much more sensible option.

I was able to complete the calculation generally unaided and managed to express an exaggerated shock at the latter outcome. The game of Jenga managed to stay stable once again and rather amazingly managed to bring three of the same questions back up again despite so many on offer. The conversations were different and as before fascinating. This is the magnificent thing of this show. An adult having a conversation with someone so junior to themselves is an amazing and enlightening thing. Both my two actors, Michael and Jacob, were wonderfully entertaining conversationalists with wise and intelligent thoughts. I am happy to made Kontakt with both of them. I do though have a tremendous disappointment though that I didn't get to see the female perspective of the show. I truly would have loved to have experienced the other angle to see how things played out differently.

There was much that was familiar with the show of course, but seeing it performed by a different person still gave it a unique edge. I once again was the out blinking master though. The dancing again offered new levels of glory and having already experienced it before, all terror thoughts were gone. The conga once again happened, and this time here was also the addition of a bit of limbo and though with my height I was regretting it for a second, I remained intact.

So, at no point will you ever have experienced anything like this and if you didn't you missed a treat. Nothing at Royal & Derngate that I have seen so far has generated as much pre-show or post-show discussion. There was trepidation before, there was generally absolute joy and amazement after. I spoke to no one who disliked it, although I am sure that someone didn't get it. This really needs to happen again as more people need to experience this. However more importantly more people need to be assured like I have been that there is nothing at all to be worried about. This is simply put, fantastic interactive theatre and I for one will be buying a ticket or two when it happens again, and as I have said, it must!


Performance reviewed: Sunday 21st June, 2015 (matinee) at the Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton.

Kontakt was performed by the R&D Youth Theatre at the Royal & Derngate between Thursday 18th June and Sunday 21st June, 2015.

For further details about the Royal & Derngate visit their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/

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